Calcining, desulfurizing, agglomerating, and sintering ores and the like.



- F. DLWEEKS. CALGINI'NG, DESULFURIZING, AGGLOMERATIIIG, AND SINTERING ORES AND THE.

LIKE;

Patented Mar. 30,1909.

APPLICATION P .JE'D APR. 18, 1908'.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR,

ATTORNEW:

CALGHTING, DESULFURIZING AGGLOMERATINQ, AND SINTERING ORES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION PI'LED APR" 18, 1908. I

Pafien'aed Mar. 3%, 3909.

awvzmoa LA AT 4 ORNEWT P, D. WEEKS.

GGLOMERATING, AND SINTERING ORES AND T GALCINING, DESULFURIZING, A

ED Alf-3,18,1908.

APPLIOA 9 SHEETS-4331321 i.

'TION FIL' I x c.

Mar.

Paented WETNESSES CALOINING, nnsuumuzme, AGGLOMERATING, AND sm'rname ORESVAND THE LIKE.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

QSHEBTS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES;

F. D. WEEKS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1B, 1908.

I INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

F. D. WEEKS.

GALGINING, DESULFURIZING, AGGLOMERATING, AND SINTERING ORES AND THE LIKE.

AYPLIOATION FILED APR. 18, 1908. 91 6,9G3 Patented Mar. 30, 1909 9 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

I I I P.

\\\ YII WITNESSES:

- NVENTORJ 1; '"f ATTORNEYoi BY .mz a/ z 31). WEEKS. v GALOINING, DESULPURIZING, AGGLOMERATING, AND SINTERING ORES AND THE LIKE.

APPLIGATION FILED APR- 18, 190B. 4 91 6,993 Patented- Mar. 30, 1909. 9 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

MN l W WlTNESSES: INVENTOR.

ff QW MAW ATTORNEY-5.

I F., D. WEEKS.

GALGINING, DESULFURIZING, AGGLOMERATING, AND SINTERING ORES AND THE LIKE.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18 91 6,903.

9 SHEETSSHEET 8.

9 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

ATTORNEY P. 1). WEEKS. .FTJ'PLIZING, AGGLOMERATING, AND SINTERING ORES AND THE LIKE.

CALGINING; DESUI APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1908.

Patented Mar. 30, 1909.

v un r ms l fthlll Salt innit;

@FFIQE.

FBAXClS D. VVFEKS, 'CF SALIDA, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR TO OHIO AND COLORADO SMELTING .iivn Rant YIIIG COMPAXY, OF NEW YORK,

\. a CORPORATION OF ooLoaAno.

CALGINING, DESULFUBIZING, AGGLOMERATEHG, 33m SHUTERXNG GEES AND Tm LIKE.

Application filed April 18, 1908. Serial No. 427,773.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented March 30, 190 9.

at I l'urizing', Agrgloinerating:, and Si'ntering Ores and Like lilaterials; and I do hereby declare j the following to be full, clear, and exact dr sci-notion of ll 3 invention, such will enable others skilled in the. art to which it apportaius to make and use the same.

Prior to my present inventioi'i, it has been proposed to off inn, argloineratinr or sintering' of ores and like materials by impartingto the latter a motion. of bodily transition, in. a rectilinear or in a circular path, While, at the same time, forcing or drawing air through the orc or the like, until. the desired calcined, roasted or agglomerated and sinter d product was obtained, suitable for use in the smelting furnure.

ee-t the ulcining, desulfurizinfluence of the intense heat) of the moving grate surface and its accessories, thereby resulting in unevenness of the operation, leakages, the necessity of frequent interruptions and repairs, excessive demands upon thev motive power required for driving thcgrate, and the like. By my present invention, I entirely avoid these. disadvantages. Primarily, I. entirely suppress and avoid any bodily movementof the ore or like material to be treated, from the time that it is deposited upon the perforated or grated surface and is ignited and burned thereon up to the time when itis ready for discharge from the apps ratus as the finished product thereof, at the termination of the calcining, roasting, aggloinorating or sintering action. The ore, or

-' the like, thercforcremains entirely quiescent 'l o this end, throre or like nniteriu-l to he treated has been placed upon a pen forzat d or grated bottom to which motion ilr iary horizon vided for lei-din; a. continuumsupply of the material to maintain tl iuL bod undergoing treatment, while, at the same time, the :ompleted or full rt'n'isted, calcined or agg'hnuerated portions. meeting, in their outward course, a sta ti it imparted in either a. rectilinear or a rol plane, andv means were pro- 2 during this fullperiod, and, receives to the best advantage the effect 0"" the air current, Instead of being moved bodily, together with the heavy grate which supports it, the ore and the surface remains lixcd, thercby reducing to the minimum the disadvantage due to any overheating or Warping of the grate surface or its immediate accessories.

mini. is l'cd to the stationary grate surface :ulvanenn: and rontiuuary divert-in; scan-per or scrapers passed 5 oil into appropriate collecting; bins or recepiucles. of air through the .u'ialerial served to maintain the new ary ci'unbustion and tho gaseous products resulting, therefrom "were convcyed 1 may by appropriate llues. Serious Obj.

calcining, roasting", and agglomerating or suitor-mg ores. In the first place, it is desir- -zimns (Xist to the satisfactory realization in practice ol this particular nianiuirolv it the same time, a downward draft l able that the mass of ore after it has been I ignited and is being subjected to the action of thc air current, should be quiescent, in order to utilize to the best advantage the sintering client of the combustion.

Furthermore, the bodily transfer ot a mass 01 ore in a state of 1 l l i l the invention.

from a hopper which may conveniently be of such. small carrying capacity as to impose upon the mechanism for 'inoving it, but a fraction of the weight of thcorc on the grate surface and which'may itself be supplied at any desired intervals during its travel, so that, at no time, it may overload the moderate motor mechanism required for progress ing it. i

In tho accompanying d swings, I have illustrated several 'inodilications of appa ra' tus adapted forthc practice of my invention, and embod ying' its fundamental features.

ldurtherinore, the ore or like matc- Fi 'urcl re )rescnts a to) )lan view artly s l l broken away, of one form or modification of Fig. 2 represents a central vertical sectionul view thereof. Figs. 3,v 4 and 5 represent sectional views, on a some- What larger scale, of certain details of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Figs. 6 and 7 rcpresent, respectively. a vertical section and a plan v" of a modified form of the apparatus. i" i1. 8 represents a fractional view, partly in. plan and partly in section, of a1iother modification of my invention. Fig. 9 represents a longitudinal vertical section the charge of the completed product into tlu 1S; core 01" othev receptacles intended side elevation thereof.

- move bie valves 6.

centred of the furnace structure, and ore the owner com 7M i v L miuncntion therewith, and to an extent dethereof. Figs. and 13. represent i'espectivciy 2 vertical *tionol view taken Zluo'ogh the teed hopper, and 1 vertical ticncl view taken immediately in. advance thereof 'to- A word the discharge end of the eppomtus. l

12 represents, portly broken away, it ii, 15, 1e and 1.? represent various details of construe-- tion hereinafter more fully set forth.

Similar letoci's of reference izuiicete'simil hi1 portsthrough t the several views.

' g first ,0 Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of logs, A indicates Ji furnmze structure provided with a tvvo-purt annular gallery, the-upper art a being separated from the lower part by men of on uni-mm 1' orch c. The 1;ip' or gallery, portion o; is preferably p ov dec i vithe ofii lfld fill lf'mliiil partitions a dividing it up into individual coinpm'tirucnts which communicate with tile lower portion 5 of the gallery tln'oijigh the iiiteiin'iediccy of These valves are provided with actuating valve stems (1 whose inner ends project into on open well spa-cc B M se there provided with actuating arms a, adopted to be automatically actuated to pertielly open or to permit the closing or partial closing of the valves, as and for the purposes hereinafter described. Above the portion a of the gallery is locoted the stationary unnulaju. gi'otef, resting firmly ugizon the Walls of the steioueiy furnace structure [a and making tight fit filth, so as to prevent the drawing of air except through the openings themselves. do annular flange gu 'd f provided along the inner edge of the :innuloi" grate, but at outer periphery, the otej' preferably C void any such up- Wmc oi'ojection, so as to be free to permit for its collection. The poiti 1. b of the gellerv below the iLlfGll c connects with any suiteble blast device (should it be desired to force oucurrent of oil. ugh-really tluough the be 7 of ore on the gi'uce surface), or withun .zu'is'tinn, chimney steel or the like,

preferable, the ob: is to be drawn. throw the mess of ore. This om he 0 tlle'fy continuous. rid dcvoid ol' partitions,

Wh on,

and it exerts either it plenum. or on oxhm'letuig action upon all of cute (0 that in com nod upon the location oi their seveml In the central well ll located u fiery column U which mippoi'is the Ye ell i). om c i'xed upon the he rotutetby si'iel id'ed mth the tiucliwsiy pzu'ts lieu way a Will-act upon the onus a" of the rotetory stems d of the valves 6 successively, in such manner as to open them more or lose, as predetermined, to suit the particular re quirements of draft of the ore during; its sew eml stages of combustion.

The upper portion of the rotatory shell I) carries the gear g which meshes \zith the gem 9 lost upon the shaft h. The shaft 7L is preferably provided \iii'h another gem i running upon a stationary annular track gear '11, and which is designed to assist in supporting and bearing the veight of the revolving parts -The shaft h is carried in bearings 7c depending from o frame Z extend ing radially fi'omthe control. column C upon which it is mounted to rotate freely. The frame Z, made up of the radial pieces and cross pieces shown, likewise carries the feed hopper G for the ores to be treated, and, in the bottom of the feed hopperis located the flutter whee-i m mounted upon the shaft h and adopted to feed a predetermined and regulated quantity of ore upon the stationzuy grete surface, as the vfrome Z and the hopper G advance. On one side of the discharge opening of the hopper is located the buiner'li, which I have indicated conventionally "i which may be supplied w ith oil, compiessed or like fuel from e supply tank n carried by the home I. On the opposite side of the hopper are located the plow point scrapers p, inclined oi stepped, as shovin, so as to divide between them the function of diverting the completed product from the st otionaiygnte. Finally the entire furnace structure A 13 encircled by an annular receiving hopper I provided'with weighted discharge gates, as shov n. This annular receiving hopper may itself be conveniently divided up into eppeopricte compartments, if desired, and is adapted to discharge its contents, either automatically or -other isc at intervals, intoreceiving cars or the like.

The mode of operotion of this modificationof my invention u ill-be apparent. The ore or other material to be calcined, roasted,

desuliurized, agglomerated or sintel'ed, is-

fed in regulated quantity, determined by the flutter wheel or feed wheel m, upon the stationary grate surface, as the feed hopper itself is revolved in the direction"indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. feed hopper is suilieiently slow to permit the es or oil burner H to fully ignite the ore us it is discharged frond the hoppenwl'iercupon the hodyof ein-diieu'n down through theore, progressively completes its combustion. lit in 'ntended, the usual operation of the opparutus, that by the time the feed hopper she'll have completed or substantially comon entire revolution "eboutdts suppoit axis, the portion of the ore first ignite shall have become sulliciently celsuch that the tmcliwdy 01' com The revolution of the p (PKMEW f nnw with t V k :rr for apex-Ming aha revolving? lwpgr-ur and its mljurutre 4101mm of im u I :zmi'w-rupers fi c. 211 m rnm'mi i1 rmrrz v set fox-1h.

oasied, a 'hgixwr-mrd or sintered Y 111m rho we apprupri they be vnxpbycd 1r: :rli, A the case and, 1f mnplqvud, t1-

L- 'U'LLCLI c, or 2): ha wnvenir at z in ihv sizo'v u in Fr 1 ronslruciiuzl um? in. tlrc form of apprm .i

1-": exception hat U s are prosimih r hi0!) mrrirs the so supported compluivn! prmiur! or" the u; C

1. 111g appropriate 9 a hopper I may ix! avutunm tu/rruy (ilscmli'gfvd at the place or Ma es desired.

in ordQ-r to mill further illustmia the e);-

"l 0 of my invenii'ml, I have pad eaturesas embodied in a "me furnace of the censtrucion d in. Figs. 8 w 1'? inclusive. 111 this the space bgnrath the grate surazces other by an iniervening lOngitudinszl c, the upper portion being likewise enmly divide-d up into individual omnuuntrs by. the cross partitions (1.. S0 0, the arch e, as before, is provided :with

valves (2, adapted to be opened su cessir as desired, either by hand or autormiicaliy, butpreferauiy autonmtically as si'rown and as Wiil be hereinafter more fully The trzweling hopper G proi'ided will the fi liter Wheel m for depositingrthe denied in a regular layer of 511 mm tinJL-r uniro m thickness upon the surface is, in. this ipfianw, 1:90:1 Wheeiad trurggg J supported to be scrapers p.

ml, should i1 1341101 :11 zry 0;; may be? oprrzztwl (7 her linurnzrticuliy h the ram may pruvo more j J other mi'rzrnlo recqnnwio. apparatus 1 rho same Fmlures of Minn. arr preserved as: tars shown in Hm prrzm U10 frame nods s 113st arms 5 p mmlwd :11 their 1 iwvis i run upon the track- Iw med. upon the- -11 sect Iona of .l M Hm M1101; J. 11 \x'iil. (If wurw, 5:0 undo!- siumi 'ihrri. the ram with in; (amid mg lmppor 152?: I1

(1041M. liner; Fig. 12, \viru (ho rz uii 11122. the nm ieriz l M. from the, hopper m a, m

(:m qfwtion of the rumbusainn is e'i'imzuwl. m:

nenazrih the g'rzrro run 5 Vera! mrirnduul rnmpzrruuema upper portion. r'wprndr-nt upon rho :r 11mm f pe11ing0f the v0 at an pzzrlivulzzr {rum 1. wlsh ii to m: durum-H uzuirrszoud, nmvarve? that w iwrvmhnfmro Indium- 1 z r Y these valves mm m z m n1stmsrw, be en- 1 7 I I ill-e1) riiswcnscd wl' ih, or (My ma be arrmum 111 pm? or 111 Whole by hand, msloml 01"hym11 1uz,t1u(kn-'1was H10 particular deuce shown lur .iLLlLO- maticaliy operating the \"alves ln 1 1e 2;! might 11110 furnace consists oi Elm avers z" i'zrstrned t0 the vgrivesiem a zrmi 1h? lever irdstenod 1:0 t! {a aiu'n shad, r 1011 a, the said we 5 nccllrrl by em irrrcrnu-zdjaic l'inkl siuii) shaft 2 si n carries an, arm turn thereon] and providd -.-\YiU1 aspiring projectiun 2 having at its cndwrbu'tton and ,ardapicd to co" perm-(5 wiih a projection 2" on the hnk 2. '1 he briton oi the sprmg arm'ls 111 11G path of movement of a cam track 6 attached to the truck of 111m trrnfirelinghogapen When. the eddrrancmg upturncdrnd .of

#ers sncogssweiy @hfi the cam track eneou buttg-ns 0f the arms 2:", he said arms are forced againsi the prpjori inns 2 and gradually close the mlvesr and hold them closd has passml, shown, for in stance in Fig.1 1! and 16. truck f r:a,sse the is man tinsmris assume the j msifiqfil shown in Fig. 15, with the valve open. On the return movement, when the cam track encounters an arm 2 it swings that arm and the arm 3 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.5, without acting upon the valve. By this arrangement of parts, the valves, as before, are closed at that I to the first.

portion of the tracltway where the iinished roduct is discharged from the grate surface, but are left fully open at the place of ignition of the charge, so as to give it the. entire bencfit of the maximum admission of air at the latter point. It is of course obvious, that by varying the ctmligurat ion of the cam track, appropriate variations can be made in the relative movement of the valve In the straight line furnace, I have not considered it necessary to illustrate morethan the full 0 en position and the full closed position of tl ic valves corresponding respectively to those grate sections wherein the charge is under full combustion and those wherein the combustion has practically ceased and the material is being discharged. In the annular furnace, however, as indicated in l ig. 3, the arrangement, as shown, is such that the valves are opened to varying degrees from the point of ignition onward.

At the termination of the forward movement of the traveling hopper, in a straight:

line furnace, it is obviously necessary to return to the starting point inorder that it may begin a second operation corresponding To this end, it is necessary to raise the scrapers gr, so that'during the re turn movement of the truck J they may not interfere with the charge upon the grate. This may be conveniently effected by raising the supplemental frame J which carries the scrapers, and suspending said frame, d uring the return movement of the hopper, upon the elevated trackways L. Accordingly the supplemental frame J ..is attached to the main frame J of the truck by means of swing ing links m, and the frame J is provided with transverse shafts or axles m which carry at their outer ends the wheels m.- As the truck approaches the extreme end of its forward travel, the wheels m encounter downwardly projecting portions 8 s of the track L and mount the inclines thus provided. In mount- -ing the inclines they swing upwardly pivoted portions t tof the said trackway L, until finally the supplemental frame is raised to the desired height, whereupon the,

movement, as indicated more fully in Fig. 13, the wheels or rollers msllde down similar inclines i t, at the end of the trackway L,-

thereupon resuming their original position,

whereupon the inclinest t, which arenor- 7O mally held in their .upper position by means of springs or the like, rise again to the level of the main trm-hway L, thereby permitting the forward travel of the car during itsnext,

advance with the scrapers in their lowered thus described my invention, what agglomerating, and sintering ores and lilretin materials, provided with a stationary grate upon which the material may be placed and. ignited, a traveling hopper movable along the grates surface and adapted to deposit the layer of material thereon, and means for passing air through the material to maintain its combustion after ignition; substantially as described.

2. Apparatus for calcining, desulfurizing,

agglomerating, and sintering ores and like materials, provided with a stationary grate upon which the material may be placed and ignited, a traveling hopper movable 'along the grates surface and adapted to deposit the layer of material thereon, anigmting burner carried by the hopper, and movable therewith, and means for passing air through i the material to maintain its combustion after ignition; substantially as described.

3. Apparatus for calcining, desulfuriizing, 1 00 agglomerating, and sintering ores and like materials, provided with a stationary grate upon which the material may be placed and ignited, a travclinghopper movable along the gratcs surface and adapted to deposit the layer of material thereon, an igniting burner carried by the hopper, and movable therewith, ascraper likewise carried by the hopper and movable therewith for swee ing the finished product from the grates sur' ace,

and means for passing air through the material to maintain its combustion after ignition; substantially as described.

4. Apparatus for calcining, desulfurizing,

agglomerating and smtering ores and'like materials, provided with a stationary annular gratc upon which the material is to be placed, a hop or for feeding the layer of material upon t 1e grates surface, said hopper being provided with means for causing it to move 1n a continuous rotary path along the grates surface, an igniting burner traveling withthe hopper, a scraper likewise traveling with the hopper, and means for causing a current of air to pass through the material after its ignition; substantially as described.

5. Apparatus for calcining, desulfurizing, agglomerating, and sintering ores and like materials, provided with a stationa'r annular grate upon which the material lsto be place-1i, a hopper for fouling tho layer of material upon the graies sulfa-ca, siiirl hopper boi. lg provided. with means for causing it, to move in a continuous rotary path along the gmtes surface, an igniting burner travoh ing with the hopper, a, scrupar like-who traveling wizh tho hopper and moan; lor causing a. cur 'ont of air to niaceriz-i. alter its ignition, soul humus oonsisbing of an tXlUiU-Slll' for causing 11 (lawn (lrzrl'l 'Ihrouy h Lin; material, and provi ions for'vzu'yiug the strength of thirlrzrl'l. zit rlili'crent )liL(.'S along thi grate; sulisl mu hilly as clesoriocil.

ii. Apparatus for culi-ini'sig, ilosullurizingi", :iggloinuruling, 21ml siniering orus null iii-to nnioriails, provided "with n stationary grate, surniro upon phnoil, El, trawling oi-(l hopper vfor sugmlying; the layer o'l nmtvrial lo Lin grzfies surl'eiro,

7 pass through Lhu T which the irmtvrhil may bof u scraper {or swuepi 1;; the finished product from the grut-os Miriam, an outlying: recoivmg bin or ruooptm-lo in which tho linishoil product is mlloctml, and moans for ravusing 2L our ou oinir to pass through the unilimiul maintaining its combustion n'il ar ignition, substantially as described.

7. In apparatus for *nlcining, (l(SUlfuriziug, aggloniernting, and sintoring ores and like lnzi-toriiils, a furnace structure consisring oi' 11min Walls soparzi'tocl from each other 03' an intervening annular spare, a

stealth iziry grate covering said space and having substantially flat upper surl'aiov, in feed hopper i'oiiperatiiig with he grate and movable with respect ihcroto, and an out lying rhgvoiving bin or receptacle for the iiinisluwl product; subs antially as inscribed.

8. in illiplll'zlliilS for calcining, illtllllhiriziug, zigg'gloniomling; and bi luring ores :mrl lihu niaiorizzls, L furnuro slrururr consisting' oi annular walls :soparzitoil from (zirh me, i}, sizit'ioniiry otlwr by" an intervening: j annular grat s (overrun saul spans and having a substantially smooth nupor surface, the

inner annulm- Wz'ill inclosiug u coutrul iwll space, :1 roluinn or parlor: located within the Well space, 1:, frame carried by the pork (l hopi ao (who! and ruruluble thereon, 3:; for: lifbl'llfiil by sunl. frame for (loposilnig the the Well Sim-CC, and u, min rm river of mark N :g ifoueivin prociuri;

9. in for calcining, iuriung, aggloinerating, and. sinte' A and ii m nniturizils, iuruiic struutuio pro \'lll(l .Yilii two annular Walls inclosing an inner irvll SiiLCQ, ii upon which the nuuicrml to ho row 20 "hic'oil uito rowy'uu: he annular spur --l0rror ii the operation or" the iuruziil'o; substantially F9 as described.

10. in zippzzruluu for wh ning, \[lFSLi i'urizing, agg'lomomting and sinluring ores and like llliltfl'lilrlo, n i'ur niro slruriurrpro- 'irloil with two annular mils, inrlosiog :11 '75 innor W(ll space, :3, grills upon which ninicrizi to be treated is lo be PliLC grate covering the annular space re n an arch dividing the zznnuhir space turlinally into an upper sinil lower port 3-; the up wr portion being divided. inn; vidunl compartments, vzil'rv ope-iii: tween the individual CUIIIE'H'LYURQEE the lower portion of the'nnnulur spaoo oxluiustrr runner-toil with. tho loua r nor :3 w

of rho annular spa c0, and niou'ns for I513. the amount lo which rho several 7:;0 opened during the operation of 5hr said nuns i-oiisisting 0i nciuziii' passing through tho inner ruin the several \mlw: lrnis sluntiully as ilm-xrilml.

some 

